THERE'S no place like home, as the old adage goes – and there's certainly nowhere quite like our little island.
Judging by a thread posted to Ireland's Reddit page this week, living abroad isn't always what it's craic'd up to be, if you'll forgive the pun.
The Irish abroad were asked to name the 'little things' about the Emerald Isle they miss most, and they didn't disappoint.
See if you agree...
The craic, obviously
"Irish men always think foreign women look beautiful and exotic but they are nowhere near the amount of craic the Irish are, and at the end of the day that's more important."
"The craic down the local with the lads that have been there since the day I had my first pint."
"People who find father ted jokes funny and the craic".
The weather, for some reason
"Nothing compares to the wind in Achill. You can stick your Atlantic hurricanes and Asian typhoons."
"Can confirm. I live in Chicago, the "windy city," and on Achill I thought I was going to be blown into the ocean the moment I stepped out of the car."
"My aunt has lived out of Ireland for the last 30 years and still says she misses walking in the countryside on a windy day."
The people
"Irish women!!"
"I miss meeting a random person and usually having a mutual friend/acquaintance.....there’s no 6 degrees of separation at home, only one!"
"Hearing phrases like 'I used to go to school with your grandfather/uncle/mother'. The familiarity, the roots, the history of home. Nobody here knows who I am (or cares), which is great in a way but it's also kinda sad."
The cuisine
"I spent 30 yesrs overseas in London. California, Paris and beyond. Kerrygold was the biggest thing I missed."
"The food. All of. Poland is a gas place but Christ the food doesn’t hold a candle to home. What I wouldn’t give for a proper fry or a chicken fillet roll or a spice bag. Hungover days are the worst."
"Food is the obvious one, but I can do without most of it. Nice pint of Guinness. The family and one or two friends. I'd happily fly home for a day for all of the above, but all I need is the 'Irish injection' and I'm happy to come back to American."
And of course, family
"Easy - watching the hurling with the auld fella."
"The chat after mass, family calling in in the evening and not leaving until two in the morning, having a drop of whiskey out in the stick shed with aul fella talking about everyone and anyone."
"In an increasingly globalised world the answer is pretty simple ... my family. Everything else, including the bread, butter and Superquinn sausages are missed - but not as much as being able to drop in to the mammy to say hello."
